Method of forming an aggregate of objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015285719-A1
Application number	US-201214380111-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2012
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	Oct 8, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of forming an aggregate of objects in a channel including a liquid, said method including: a) providing objects in at least a region of the channel, and b) forming an aggregate of said objects by submitting them to a modulated pulsed acoustic field, wherein the modulated pulsed acoustic field applied at step b) is modulated in amplitude.

First claim

1 - 55 . (canceled)

56 . A method of forming an aggregate of objects in a channel comprising a liquid, said method comprising:
a) providing objects in at least a region of the channel, and b) forming an aggregate of said objects by submitting them to a modulated pulsed acoustic field, wherein the modulated pulsed acoustic field applied at step b) is modulated in amplitude.

57 . A method according to claim 56 , wherein the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprises a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency, and said groups being separated between each other by a period having a non-zero duration wherein no acoustic wave is applied.

58 . A method according to claim 56 , wherein the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprises a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency, and said groups being separated between each other by a period having a non-zero duration wherein an acoustic wave is applied, said acoustic wave having at least one extremum of the absolute value of its amplitude that is different from the highest amplitude of the acoustic wave pulses belonging to the group just preceding said period.

59 . A method according to claim 56 , wherein a standing acoustic wave is created along a transverse dimension of the channel at step b) during the application of the modulated pulsed acoustic field.

60 . A method according to claim 59 , wherein said transverse dimension is the thickness of the channel.

61 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency, and each of said groups of acoustic wave pulses comprising 10 or more acoustic wave pulses.

62 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency, at least one group of acoustic wave pulses lasting a duration t 1 that is greater than or equal to 0.01 ms.

63 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency and step b) comprising submitting the objects to at least 100 groups of acoustic wave pulses.

64 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency and at least one period separating two successive groups of acoustic wave pulses having a duration t 2 that is greater than or equal to 0.05 ms.

65 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency and at least one period separating two successive groups of acoustic wave pulses having a duration t 2 that is less than or equal to 0.5 s.

66 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency and wherein at least a couple of consecutive group of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 1 and period separating two successive groups of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 2 have a pulse mode factor

P
mf

=

t
1

t
1

+

t
2

that is greater than or equal to 0.01.

67 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency and wherein at least a couple of consecutive group of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 1 and period separating two successive groups of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 2 have a pulse mode factor

P
mf

=

t
1

t
1

+

t
2

that is less than or equal to 0.95.

68 . A method according to claim 56 , at least two couples of consecutive group of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 1 and period separating two successive groups of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 2 having a different pulse mode factor

P
mf

=

t
1

t
1

+

t
2

.

69 . A method according to claim 56 , all the couples of consecutive group of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 1 and period separating two successive groups of acoustic wave pulses of duration t 2 having substantially the same pulse mode factor

P
mf

=

t
1

t
1

+

t
2

.

70 . A method according to claim 56 , the modulated pulsed acoustic field comprising a repetition of a plurality of groups of acoustic wave pulses, said pulses having, among a given group, substantially the same amplitude and frequency and said groups of acoustic wave pulses being periodically spaced between each other by a period having a non-zero duration.

71 . A method according to claim 56 , wherein the created aggregate is a 2D-aggregate.

72 . A method according to claim

Assignees

• Hoyos Mauricio
• Castro Camacho Luz Angelica
• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Ecole Superieure Physique & Chimie Ind Ville De Paris

Inventors

• Hoyos Mauricio
• Castro Camacho Luz Angelica

Classifications

• C12N2521/10

  Sound, e.g. ultrasounds · CPC title

• C12N5/0062

  General methods for three-dimensional culture · CPC title

• G01N1/4077 Primary

  by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids · CPC title

• G01N2001/4094

  using ultrasound · CPC title